Chester drink drive figures ‘disappointing’ say police

Dec 31 2009 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

POLICE say they are disappointed with the level of drinkdriving offences that have taken place over the festive period.

Officers targeting drivers during the campaign, which started on December 1, made more than 100 arrests throughout the county in the first two weeks.

Of those arrested, the majority were aged between 26 and 35, followed by the 36 to 45-year-old category and then the 17 to 25-year-olds.

Figures show 79% of those who failed breath tests were men and 21% female and an additional four men have failed drug impairment tests at the roadside.

The majority of arrests took place between midnight and 7am with the remainder spread thought out the day.

Roads liaison officer for Cheshire police, Mike Jones, said: “Despite our warnings to drivers about keeping themselves safe by not drink or drug-driving, it seems some people are still taking risks on the roads.